Everton Tigers vs. Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders

Friday 29 February 2008        Greenbank Sports Academy.     7.30pm

The Everton Tigers and Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders will meet for the third time this season on Friday night, with the head-to-head decider at stake.

Both sides will go into the game looking to put defeats last weekend behind them. While Riders went down to a 74-61 home loss against Marshall MK Lions, Tigers continued their poor run of results against league leaders Newcastle Eagles last Friday as they went down 97-85 in the north east, but coach Henry Mooney wasn’t too disappointed by the result, “We did okay, but a couple of our players weren’t very well and we dug ourselves into a hole midway through the game. We continued to dig until halfway through the third when we got back into the game. We were six down with a few minutes to go, but we just ran out of steam.

“It’s disappointing because we’ve never had a full team out against them, but if we can get healthy and put a consistent game together, I think we have a good chance of beating them when they come to our place. It was good to see a big crowd, and there was a great atmosphere.”

Mooney is hoping that his squad will be stronger by mid-March as they look to build up steam for the playoff race, “We should have Chris Haslam back in a couple of weeks, and we’ve registered Mohammed Niang this week, he’s 6’ 11” and a bit more mobile that Chris. He’s been with us all season, but he blew his knee out at the Boston Celtics’ summer camp. I think he will be a big plus for us.”

Mooney is surprised by Riders’ poor run which has seen lose 12 of their last 13 games, “They are quite aggressive, and I’m pleased that it’s at home as it’s a difficult place to play. They have some good players such as Chad McKnight, and Mindaugas Janiska is also a good player who we looked at in the summer, but he gets over emotional at times.

“They are on a bad run at the moment which is surprising as they match-up well with most teams. They seem to win more on the road, but we need to get back to our winning ways after the loss at Newcastle. We’ll have a game-plan, we’ll play some match-up zone, and we’ll get out and run.”

The sides met on Merseyside in early November, with Tigers winning their second BBL Championship game of the campaign, 100-84. Tigers' win was inspired by former Rider David Aliu as he led all scorers with 27 points; Calvin Davis had 16 and Tony Robertson added 14 points for the Tigers.  Leicester's resistance was led by 23 points from Chad McKnight.

The return saw a strong second half performance helped Riders gain revenge with an 84-70 home victory. Rod Wellington led all scorers in the game with 18 points, while Chris Haslam led the Tigers scoring with 17. 

Newcastle Eagles vs. Marshall MK Lions

Friday 29 February 2008        MetroRadio Arena.     7.30pm

The BBL Championship leaders, Newcastle Eagles, will want revenge for their most significant loss of the season when they host Marshall MK Lions on Friday evening at the MetroRadio Arena.

Lions beat Eagles 69-66 when the sides clashed in the BBL Cup final in January as 24 points from Kevin Griffin proved key to helping the Lions win their first ever piece of silverware at the National Indoor Arena.

With Newcastle due to play in the BBL Trophy final against Guildford Heat on Sunday,  Eagles coach Fab Flournoy admits that he would prefer to have played the game at another time, “The irony is that we have to play Lions less than 48 hours before the final. They are one of the top sides in the league, and they’ll want to do a job on us. We are only three wins clear of them, and it’s a game that we have to win.

“I’d prefer not to have to play the game, but it’s the schedule, and it is what it is. When we played in the Cup final we had to play Leicester Riders prior to that game, and it’s disappointing that Guildford will have had more rest than us. But we can’t do anything about it, some teams are able to move their games, but we can’t. It’s an NBA schedule, but that’s why we have a deep team, and we need to be consistent.

“The weekend we’ve just had is good practice for it, and it’s good mental preparation for the play-offs. If we’re going to win them, we’ll have to play back-to-back games, so there’s no point hiding behind it and using it as an excuse.”

Flournoy knows that it’s tough to work out who his team needs to stop if they are to beat the Lions, “I really couldn’t say who you concentrate on as they are all capable of stepping up. One minute Yorick is dropping 25 on someone, but the next minute it’s Tony Windless or Robert Youngblood who is top scoring. Kevin Griffin and Dru Spinks have both won games for them this season, and then there’s Terrell Brown at the point or Peter Heizer who quietly does all the little things for them.”

Lions had a mixed weekend with a win in Leicester before a disastrous last five minutes saw Sheffield score the final 17 points of the game to inflict an 83-66 home defeat on them.

“The injuries aren’t helping us, we’ve been without Shawn Jamison for two weeks now, and we’re just getting used to playing without his influence” said coach Vince Macaulay.

“We were always in control against Leicester, but we lost Tony [Windless] midway through the game, and that made a difference against Sheffield. We faded down the stretch, but what really cost us was not putting it away earlier in the game.”

Macaulay doesn’t expect any problems getting his team motivated for the game in the north east, “It’s a big one like the Guildford Heat game in that I know our guys will be up for it. We were hoping that we’d come into this game with no more than six losses, but because we have a few more than that, it’s not as significant as it might have been. We have 12 games left and we want to have the best possible record going into the play-offs. We’re not talking about winning the league, we’re just concentrating on one game at a time.

“I expect one hell of a game, they’ll want to get back on us for the Cup Final, but that’s only to be expected.

“I’ve seen some tape of their new guy, Steve Leven, and he’s a good player, with a good pedigree, but we wouldn’t have expected anything else from Newcastle. Jeremy Hyatt didn’t play last weekend which is a bit of an enigma. He’s been central to what they achieved over the last four years and it will be interesting to see what’s happening there.” 

Sheffield Sharks vs. BiG Storage Cheshire Jets

Friday 29 February 2008       E.I.S. Sheffield     7.30pm

The race for the final two play-off places continues at the English Institute of Sport on Friday night when the Sheffield Sharks and BiG Storage Cheshire Jets meet for the third time this season.

Both teams have won on their opponent’s court this season, so the winner of Friday’s clash will seal the head-to-head decider between the clubs.

Sharks go into the game after a mixed weekend which saw them lose 97-83 at home against Worcester Wolves before they bounced back with arguably their best result of the season – an 83-66 win at BBL Cup winners Marshall MK Lions.

“It was a mixed weekend for us, but it finished well,” said coach Pete Scantlebury, “I thought it would have been the other way around, in that we could beat Worcester and that a win at Milton Keynes would have been a bonus.

“We played pretty well in the first half on Friday, but we just didn’t come out of the blocks in the third quarter. There was no commitment, and we lost the game because of that. We turned it around on Sunday as we put together a performance with guts and fight. We had a 17-0 run at the end of the game to win it, but we showed what we can do if play with commitment.

Looking ahead to the forthcoming game, he said, “It’s another big one for us, and a win would really help keep us in the play-off picture and would leave them further behind us. We’ll see if they have their injured guys back, but whether or not they do, we need to win the game.

“Jayson Obazuaye  has been doing a lot of their scoring and he’s been their main guy all season – so we need to slow him down. I know Trey Moore’s struggled with injury, but he can still score and Matt Otten has stepped up. They are the guys who are doing the main scoring for them recently, but we need to show the same attitude as Sunday if we are going to win the game.”

Jets will be looking to bounce back after a weekend where their playoff hopes were hit by losses against Worcester Wolves and Kularoos Plymouth Raiders, but coach Paul Smith wasn’t disheartened by the defeats, “We’re licking our wounds a bit, we didn’t play too badly, and both games were winnable. We just lack a bit of height with Shawn [Myers] injured. We can match-up with anyone at the guard spots.”

Smith is aware of the importance of the game against the Sharks, but is hopeful that his club’s injury problems are easing, “We’re getting down to the business end of the season, and it’s another four-pointer for us. We’ve got seven fit players, and they all came through the games at the weekend okay. Shawn will be out for another three or four weeks, but Marc Pratt might be back this week. He’s meeting up with a specialist, so we’ve got out fingers crossed.”

The Jets coach is looking forward to meeting up with former Cheshire guard Alto Virgil who left the Northgate Arena for Sheffield in the summer, “They don’t have anyone who is dominating every game, but they have lots of talented players. Alto is making them tick, and they seem to be a solid team this season. He was a great servant to our club, and we did try to keep him, but it’s always great to see him.”

BBL Championship leaders Newcastle Eagles will look to strengthen their position at the top of the table when they host Everton Tigers, and former point guard Richard Midgley, on Friday evening.

Eagles have been something of a bogey side for the BBL newcomers this season, with Fab Flournoy’s team having won all three games against them, with the last meeting seeing an 89-73 BBL Trophy victory against an undermanned Tigers side.

With former Eagles point guard Richard Midgley facing his old club, Eagles coach Fab Flournoy is looking forward to the match-up, “It’s a big game with Richard in town. Obviously he’s playing for them now, but there’s no animosity between the two teams. He’ll be looking to do well against his old team, and we’ll want do the same against him. We haven’t overlooked the fact that they were without Richard and three other key guys last time we played against them, so it will be a different story this time. They are on a roll and are putting up a lot of points. They have a lot of talented guys who can really play, and it’s a pivotal game for both of us.”

Eagles go into the game with a 104-59 victory against Team Birmingham Panthers under their belts, but coach Flournoy still had praise for the midlands outfit, “They’ve been playing well lately, and they have a good crop of English players. All they need is a couple of import big guys and they would have a good team.”

Tigers coach Henry Mooney is looking forward to meeting the Eagles for the fourth time this season, “I’m looking forward to seeing how we do against them. We’ve played them three times, the first time we didn’t turn up, then we lost by five at home in the Trophy and the final time we were missing four players but we were in it until the last two or three minutes until we fell to an appalling refereeing decision that really cost us.

“We’re doing well with our fast break game, and if we get ahead of them, I think we’re capable of beating them.”

Sheffield Sharks host Worcester Wolves on Friday evening in a key BBL Championship game that neither side can afford to lose.

Victory for Sharks would seal the head-to-head BBL Championship series between the sides, as Sharks have already beaten Skouson Harker’s team 96-86 at the EIS. Justice Graham led all scorers in the game with 31 points for the Sharks, ably assisted by Randy George who netted 28 points, and pulled down a huge tally of 23 rebounds.  Antony Paez led the Wolves’ scoring with 27 points.

Wolves gained revenge in the BBL Trophy, winning 125-121 in a high-scoring thriller in Yorkshire, with James Life and Paez each scoring 32 points, and then winning 84-81 at home to wrap up their first place in a BBL semi-final.

Sharks coach Pete Scantlebury is in no doubt about the importance of the game, “It’s a big game for us, we’re looking at the play-off race now and they are just below us. If we can win the game it will give us a cushion, but if we lose they will be back in it. We need to stop their transition game, especially Anthony Paez and James Life. We’ve got to get them out of their flow. We started poorly last time we played them, and trailed by 19. We played well for the final three quarters, and only lost by three, but clearly we need to play for all four.”

Sharks went down 85-73 at Kularoos Plymouth Raiders on Saturday, coach Scantlebury slammed the referees after the game, “We were beaten by the better team, and it wasn’t Plymouth. They had 40 free-throws to our nine, and in the second half they were called for only four fouls – two of which were when the game was effectively over. The frustrating thing is we were in a zone for the most of the first half, but we still got called for twice as many fouls.”

However, Scantlebury was pleased with his side’s display in the game at Raiders, “It was a much improved performance from us, but we had a spell in the second period where we turned the ball over too much, and let them back into it. The way we played bodes well, and if we can play with some spirit, we’ll win some games.”

Wolves player-coach Skouson Harker is looking to build on last week’s thrilling 67-66 win against Leicester Riders, “It’s what we needed, it was ugly but we got the win. After the half-time break they slowed the game down to snail’s pace and we missed a lot of shots. But fair play to them, they got it together and they were much improved from the last time we played them. They are deep and more effective in the front court with White, McKnight and Roderick Wellington coming off the bench. I was surprised he didn’t play more minutes, because he can be really effective.”

Harker knows that Sheffield will be looking for revenge for their Trophy exit, “They’ll feel they owe us one, and it will be pretty intense. It’s a massive game for us, but their key guys seem to be having trouble scoring at the moment. They have three or four players who can do it on any given night. Chaney can get going, but if Justice Graham gets a couple of early three-balls he can do a lot of damage. Alto Virgil can fill it up, but they are like us in many ways. We’ve both struggled to gel at times despite having a lot of talent. We make it hard for ourselves because we try to make the tough play rather than looking for the easy bucket. I expect it start getting scrappy now, it’s not going to be down to threes and dunks, it will be the team who hustles and takes the charges.”

Team Birmingham Panthers will aim to build on last week’s victory at fellow strugglers PAWS London Capital when they host Kularoos Plymouth Raiders at the Sport TCAT Arena, Telford on Saturday evening.

Although Panthers have yet to meet the Raiders, Birmingham coach Nigel Lloyd has done his homework on the West Country team, “I’ve seen them play at Lions twice as Milton Keynes is my home town, and they play well together. Terrence Durham is going to be a handful for us, he’s a monster the way he rebounds and he plays really hard. Drew Lasker is looking very comfortable, and I was really impressed with how his jump shot had come along. That surprised me as I thought it was a weakness in his game.

“They’re a team who are fighting for a home play-off spot, and having won the Trophy last year they are proven winners. They are the kind of club we are aiming to be. They started in Division One, but they’ve kept a nucleus of players and the coach together, and that’s the blueprint for what we want to be. We want to build the club.”

Lloyd was delighted with his side’s win at Capital, which seals the head-to-head series against the London club and moves them within a win of them at the foot of the table, “It was a good result, the guys played hard and we knew that Capital would play with pride, so we did well to eek out a win. We held them down defensively, and they only had two guys in double figures. Rob [Paternostro] led us with 16 points, even though he hurt his back and neck. Williamz [Omopre] rebounded well and Dan Sandell was chosen as MVP by their people at the game, so that speaks volumes.

“We struggled against Newcastle, but we were always going to have a problem with a big, athletic team. It didn’t help that we were tired, but I think we’d still struggle to get close to them.

“I wish we could have given the fans at Telford a better show, and we’ll try this week.”

Lloyd is hoping that veteran guard Paternostro will be fit to face Raiders when Panthers return to Telford on Sunday, “It’s an injury that he picked up against Milton Keynes, and we asked him at half-time if he wanted to continue. He battled on but he was unable to even bend down to tie his shoelaces on Sunday, let alone play. We’re hoping he’ll be back, he really carried us against Capital and he’s key to our side.”

Raiders’ coach Gary Stronach isn’t expecting an easy game when his side travel to the Midlands, “Latayrl Williams is playing really well for them, and Nigel’s been able to give some experience to some British players, which is really good to see. They’ve shown they are capable of winning games, so it will be tough, and we know we can’t take them lightly.”

The Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders and Marshall MK Lions meet for the fourth time this season on Saturday evening, and Riders will look to repeat the shock 84-79 victory which knocked the Lions out of the BBL Trophy last month.

“I’m expecting a great game, they’ll be fired up after we beat them in the Trophy,” said Martin Ford.  “I’m looking forward to the battle of the point guards between Steve Vear and Terrell Brown, it’s a fantastic match-up and I hope the referees allow them to play.

“Their big guys will be looking to get over Carlo [White], he’s getting over a couple of illnesses, but he’s practicing really well and I hope he can be dominant.

“A lot depends on what kind of day Yorick [Williams] has, but our aim has to be two wins this week. The team seems to be up for it, but they seemed like that before the game at Worcester last week, and we only played for half a game.

“It was definitely a game of two halves, and we didn’t execute at either end of the floor for the first 17 minutes. We were 24 down at one point, and you can’t expect to win games in this league if you allow that to happen. But Chad [McKnight] took the bull by the horns with three second period minutes remaining and brought us back into it. We kept a team who are scoring well into the 90s down to six points in the third quarter, but we made some simple mistakes in the final couple of minutes, and after doing a good job on Anthony Paez all night, we let him get loose for a dunk in the final seconds.

“We were the best team in it for 23 minutes, but we have to play for 40 minutes. Obviously we’re disappointed, but the team is still positive. No one is sulking, they are talking to each other and there’s more leadership from the players.

“We’re still committed and we know we can make the play-offs.”

Lions lost a thriller 87-81 at home against league champions Guildford Heat on Saturday, but coach Vince Macaulay was not despondent – even though the loss dropped the one-time leaders down to fifth in the table, “We played okay in general, but our free throw shooting was pretty poor. If you miss 13 in a one-possession game, you’re making it tough for yourself. We should have protected the lead with a minute to go, and we turned the ball over too many times – with three of those turnovers in the last minute. I’m disappointed with the loss, but we are beginning to play better. I’m not sure why Paul James felt the need to call a timeout with four seconds remaining when they are six points up. Obviously he’s frustrated by not being top of the league and disappointed that we took the BBL Cup away from them.

“We need to move on, and I shouldn’t think that I’ll need a team talk up there. We know a lot about them, and we’re concentrating on getting back on track. I think the only game they’ve won in the last 11 was against us, so they’ll be looking to repeat that again in front of their home crowd. Carlo White has done well since signing for them, and Mike New is looking forward to playing against his old club. Steve Vear has also settled in nicely, but it’s a game we’re really looking forward to.”

The race for the BBL Championship play-off places heats-up at Worcester on Saturday evening as Worcester Wolves host BiG Storage Cheshire Jets.

Both teams go into the weekend with seven BBL Championship victories this season, but Jets occupy eighth place as they have achieved that in fewer games than the Wolves.

With only two wins separating the teams in seventh to eleventh places, Jets coach Paul Smith knows that it is a vital game for both sides, “It’s a key game for us, we’re both down there fighting for the last couple of play-off spots, and we need to win to keep our chances up. They gave us a good beating last time, and we need to even that up. Anthony Paez and James Life are good offensive players, and we need to stop them. That’s a big ask as they are playing well.”

Jets go into the game sweating on the fitness of several players. Shawn Myers is definitely out for another fortnight having broken a bone in his hand, but Smith is hopeful that Trey Moore and James Hamilton – who missed last week’s loss at Guildford – will be back, “They’re getting there, we’ve given them a couple of days off, and we’ll assess them both at practice this week.”

Despite losing 111-91 at league champions Heat, Smith was pleased with his side’s performance, “We played really well, and I felt for the guys because it was never a 20-point game. We were still in it with six minutes to go, but James Jones came on and hit five threes in a row. We just ran out of legs in the end, we were basically playing with five and half guys.”

Smith will also be aware that a defeat for his team would mean that if they finish level with Wolves, Skouson Harker’s team will have the head-to-head decider as a depleted Jets line-up suffered a 115-84 home hammering against Worcester in January.

Wolves had a massive game from James Life to thank for the ease of the win. Life score 47-points, with 44 of them coming in the final three periods and 20 in the fourth quarter alone. After leading 9-8 the Jets were never in front again as an 11-0 Wolves burst in the first quarter set the tone for the match. With a 65-82 advantage heading into the fourth quarter, Life put on an exhibition of shooting to give Wolves their biggest away win in the BBL.

Wolves coach Skouson Harker isn’t underestimating the importance of the game, either, “It’s another really important game for us, and one we can’t really afford to lose. They’ve had their injuries, but from everything I’ve heard they aren’t laying down for anyone. They’ve been outmanned against the likes of Newcastle and Guildford, but those two can do that to anyone. They beat Scottish Rocks the night after losing to Newcastle and I thought that was an absolutely amazing result.

“They are very difficult to play against, and now they have Trey Moore as well as Jayson Obazuaye they have two players capable of each getting 30 on any night. We’ll mix up our defence against them, but I expect there will be plenty of scoring.”

The Marshall MK Lions and Sheffield Sharks meet for the third time this season on Sunday afternoon. The previous two games between the sides have seen them split the series, so Sunday’s game will determine the head-to-head.

Sharks scored a crucial 87-83 victory against the Lions in October as Justice Graham scored 27.  Veteran Tony Windless led the Lions with 17 points.  That win put Sharks top of the table, but when Lions won 80-69 at the EIS in December, it was the MK side who went top of the league. Leading scorer Yorick Williams led the way with 23 points, whilst point guard Terrell Brown added 12 as Lions gained their first win in the previous eight attempts against the Sharks, a spell going back over two years.

Lions’ coach Vince Macauley admits that he doesn’t know too much about the Sharks since the changes that they have made, but is more concerned about how his own team played, “I haven’t seen them in a long time, and I haven’t had the chance to see their two new players. But the way we’re looking at it at the moment, we won’t worry about Sheffield until we’ve finished at Leicester on Saturday night. I know that Pete has been pulling his hair out this season because he hasn’t been able to get the players to play the way he wants them to. He’ll be disappointed that they didn’t win at Plymouth, and they’ll want to put that right on Sunday. At this stage of the season, every game is a dog-fight, and I doubt there will any basketball for the purists.”

Sharks’ play-caller Pete Scantlebury expects a physical game as his side travel to the Lions’ den, “They’re a tough team. They have already won one piece of silverware, and it would be a real bonus if we won down there. It will be a really hard game, Yorick [Williams] hurt us last time, and we need to do a better job this time. But they have many different guys who can hurt you, and they have loads of experience. We need to stay strong as a unit, and play like we did at Plymouth last week.”

Two of the sides looking to win the BBL Championship clash at Braehead Arena on Sunday evening when the SAMG Verve Scottish Rocks host the Guildford Heat.

Both teams are in action on Wednesday evening, with Rocks going into that game in joint third place with 14 wins from 21 games, while Heat have moved up to second in the table with a 14-5 record.

The clubs met in Guildford three weeks ago, and Rocks secured a vital 88-82 victory. The teams were level at 27 before Rocks rattled off a 20-5 run to take control of the first half, leading by 15 at half-time. Guildford closed the gap in the third quarter as runs of 8-0 and 6-1 made the score 60-67 heading into the final stanza. The comeback was complete when a 12-5 Heat burst leveled the match at 72. However, it was Rocks who finished the stronger as four Rob Yanders points sparked an 11-2 run to put the match beyond reach.

Davis is taking one game at a time as his team look to continue their run which has seen them win nine of their last ten games, “We’ll worry about Sunday after Wednesday but it will be another good game, I’m sure. It was pretty close down at their place, and they are going to want to get revenge and we’re going to have to be ready. They have a lot of different guys who can step up on any night, players like Tony Dorsey, Mike Martin and Dan Gilbert, so we have to make sure we’re ready to play.”

Heat coach Paul James is expecting a tough game north of the border, “They are playing exceptionally well at the moment. They are very aggressive, and they play well together as a unit. They came to Guildford and really put it on us at the start of the game, and we got what we deserved. We’ll be more focused this time.

“Sterling [Davis] really hurt us last time out, he went after our big men, and we had problems to slow him down, so we’ll need to do a better job on him. Rob Yanders is Rob Yanders, he’ll do what he does, and get his numbers, but Maurice Hampton is also playing well, and they a very good unit.”

Guildford Heat will look for their third win of the season over the Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders when the sides meet at The Spectrum on Wednesday evening.

They met twice over the same weekend in late November, and Guildford recorded comfortable wins on each occasion. Twenty-two points from captain Mike Martin helped Heat to a 94-67 BBL Championship victory in the Midlands, and the following day a 33-point game from John Nottley saw Heat stroll to a 107-85 BBL Cup quarter-final success.

Second placed Heat go into the game on the back of a pair of contrasting victories over the weekend: winning 87-81 at fellow title contenders Marshall MK Lions on Friday, before comfortably beating a depleted BiG Storage Cheshire Jets side 111-91 the following day.

Coach Paul James was pleased with his side’s weekend’s work,  “It was a tough game at Milton Keynes, but it was a good win in the end. We took care of business against Cheshire on Saturday, and it was very pleasing to get both wins.

“We are where we want to be in the league at the moment, but know that the game against Leicester could be a tricky one in the same way that Jets could have been on Saturday.

“Obviously we know all about Chad McKnight and Roderick Wellington [former Heat players], but they’ve made a couple of changes since we last played them as they’ve added Steve Vear and Carlo White, so it’ll be a different kind of team we’re up against. But we know we have to go there and get the win.”

Riders’ coach Martin Ford is looking forward to his team’s midweek trip to Surrey, “They’ve certainly made a big push recently. They’ve played some of their games in hand and they are back near the top of the table where they deserve to be. They are playing great team basketball, and they’ve clearly learned a lot from their games in Europe. It’s not always about having great players, it’s about winning the game, and I’ve noticed that all the sides at the top of the table are playing well as teams.

“PJ has done a great job, and he’ll have them ready. I’m trying to get Chad [McKnight] keyed up for this one. He’s not been great against them this season, but with the new leadership role he’s taken on, I believe he can do a lot better.

“I’m looking forward to seeing Ajou Deng again. I coached him in a one-off university game against a touring side, and he’s got some great moves, he can step outside and he’ll test out match-ups.

“One guy who is scoring in bunches at the moment is Tony Dorsey, but we’ve done our homework on him and looked at the style he plays. The way we’re playing at the moment we have a good chance, but we need to be ready from the start.”

The two sides who share third spot in the BBL Championship table meet at the Plymouth Pavilions on Wednesday when Kularoos Plymouth Raiders meet the SAMG Verve Scottish Rocks.

Drew Lasker scored a game-high 16-points for Plymouth when the teams met earlier this season, with Raiders wining 74-69, and a repeat would seal a crucial head-to-head series for Gary Stronach’s side.

Raiders had a mixed weekend last week, going down 84-74 at Everton on Friday night before bouncing back to defeat Sheffield Sharks 85-73 at home the following night, and Stronach was pleased with his side’s display, “We were in it at Everton, but they shot the ball really well and we didn’t - it’s that simple. We had 18 more shots than them, but we lost the game.

“I was pleased that we bounced back against Sheffield. We didn’t get back to Plymouth until 4.10am and they were fresh, so it was nice that we got the win.

“We’re third in the table and we have a clean bill of health, which is really pleasing. We’re not overdoing things, I gave the players Monday off, and we’ll have a walkthrough and the chance to shoot on Tuesday.”

Stronach is expecting a tough match-up against the in-form Rocks, “They are coming here in great form. They destroyed Sheffield, hammered a very good Milton Keynes team on their own floor and then beat Capital by 20. I think we’re in a little bit of good form ourselves, despite the loss at Everton, but we are going to have to take it up a notch if we’re going to win. It should be a really good game between two quality teams, but they are going to come in here playing really well.

“Rob Yanders is an exceptional point guard, Hampton does a great job at the two spot. They’ve got either Julius Joseph of Gareth Murray at the three, Sterling at the four and Whollers at the centre who’s hard to guard as the can step outside and score. They’ll throw some different defences at us, and we’re going to have to be on top form to win the game.”

Rocks head into the game with nine wins in their last ten games, and their latest victory – a 77-57 hammering of PAWS London Capital – left player-coach Sterling Davis a happy man, “It was a good win, and all the guys played pretty good. We’re playing some really good defence, so I’m pleased with that. We had a better understanding of the Capital team this time. We hadn’t seen them before the last time we played them, so we were more prepared this time. To hold them to 19 points in the first half was really pleasing.”

Like his opposite number, Davis is expecting an exciting game at the Pavilions on Wednesday, “We’ve both been playing some good basketball, and we’re both fighting for a top position. They’ve got the same group of guys as last season, so we know we’re going to have to be ready to play.”

Everton Tigers will be looking to avenge their early season defeat against the Kularoos Plymouth Raiders when the pair clash at Greenbank Academy on Friday.

When the sides met at the Plymouth Pavilions in Everton’s first game in the BBL back in October, it was Raiders who came on top with an 82-73 victory.  The opening stages saw both teams trading baskets, and it was the home side who gained the advantage with an 11-0 burst in the second period to take the score out to 29-23, and held the lead at 32-30 going in at the half.  The second half saw the Raiders extend their lead, and they were able to hold on for the victory despite a valiant effort from the Tigers.  DeAntoine Beasley led the Raiders scoring with 25 points, while the Tigers’ scoring was led by Tony Robertson, also with 25 points.

Tigers go into the game on the back of a 95-90 home victory against reigning league champions, the Guildford Heat, and coach Henry Mooney was delighted with his team’s display, “We played very well, we had a game plan and it worked. It was similar to last time we played them. I’d seen them against Worcester and they didn’t like playing against a zone or getting back quickly in transition. So we played a lot of zone and used the fast break to get a lot of easy baskets. It’s a great win for us, the players enjoyed it and we had a full house.

“We did it without Chris Haslam who’s likely to be out for four weeks after having a knee operation, so we went with a smaller, but quicker, lineup and it obviously worked well. They’ve only lost five games this season, so it’s really pleasing that two of them have been against us.”

Unsurprisingly, Mooney is looking for a repeat this weekend when his side face Plymouth, “They are well coached by Gary [Stronach], and they were the first team we met in the BBL. We blew out to a big lead, but they showed their experience to come back and get the win. We’ll go with our smaller line-up again, with three guards and two forwards, as I think that gives us more options. It’s a game I’m really looking forward to.”

Raiders coach Gary Stronach is expecting a difficult game when his team travel to Merseyside, “They are a very good team, they added Richard Midgley and they are dangerous on their home court. They got a big scalp against Guildford Heat last week, and although they may be rookies as a club, their players are all veterans. It’s going to be a difficult task, and we’ll have to play well. They are big on the inside with Calvin Davis and Chris Haslam if he’s fit, while David Aliu’s having a great season.

“I have the highest respect for them, and they are a quality basketball team. It’s a tough job to drive six or seven hours on a bus and then play against a good team.”

There’s a basement battle at the Capital City Academy on Saturday evening when BBL newcomers PAWS London Capital go head-to-head with the Team Birmingham Panthers in a key Championship clash.

Panthers go into the game bottom of the table with a 4-14 record, while Capital are joint tenth with six wins from 21 games. One of those four Panthers victories came when they hosted Steve Bucknall’s side in January and won 99-91 in overtime, and the London coach knows the danger that Birmingham pose, “If we treat them lightly they’ll beat us, so we need to focus. They played well against us, and they scrapped it out. I’m concerned about Rob Paternostro, he runs the team really well. We need to put pressure on him and not let him dictate what happens.” 

With both sides dominated by British players Bucknall is pleased to see so much home-grown talent on display, “It’s good to see so many British players on show, and that’s what I want to see happen in this league. The problem both teams have is that they are all guards, we need to be getting more guys who are 6’ 6” or 6’ 7”.

“They are similar to us in many ways, and although they are small, we’re only a little bit bigger, so it should be a good match-up.”

Capital ended a nine game losing streak against BBL opposition on Saturday with a 67-58 victory at the Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders, leaving Bucknall a relieved man, “We finally won one, and it’s a relief to dig out a close game at last. That’s been our Achilles’ heel. I think the guys believed in themselves, and although they were nervous in a tight game, they dug deep inside and conquered their fears. A lot of it has been in their minds, we just haven’t been able to finish tight games.

“Santa [Ataha] played well, he had a lot of responsibility as he’s our only true point guard. I got on his back a bit after the Rocks game a few weeks ago, but he came through and showed grit and determination. The guys who have come in recently are starting to play to their ability and have faith in what we are trying to do.”

Panthers’ coach Nigel Lloyd knows that London will want revenge for that loss last month, “They owe us one from earlier this year, but they are playing well and winning at Leicester last week is a great result.

“We tried everything we could against Sean Bradley last time, but he always found a way to score. He’s not just a shooter, because he can go to the bucket, he can score off balance – he was just unstoppable against us.

“I’ve coached Tayo Ogendengbe at the Deng camp before and he’s really come along in leaps and bounds. Lijah Perkins is from Birmingham, so he has something to prove against us – those three really hurt us.

“But they’ve also added Mansour Mbeye, he’s another body and another scorer for them. He’s the kind of player we could have done with bringing in, but there’s no point talking about that – we have to be up for the challenge and look to win the game.” 

“Drew Lasker and DeAntoine Beasley are their two main guys, and they’ve done a lot of their scoring. But Terrance Durham and Gaylon Moore need limiting as well. It’s going to be tough, and if our guys don’t step up there’s no chance of us winning.” 

It’s bottom versus top at the Sport TCAT Arena in Telford on Sunday afternoon when Team Birmingham Panthers meet Newcastle Eagles in the BBL Championship. The game is one of two that Panthers are staging at the Shropshire venue in the coming weeks.

The game against Newcastle is part of a tough stretch for the Panthers who faced two of the top sides in the BBL last weekend, going down 85-53 at home against Marshall MK Lions on Saturday before losing 107-88 at Guildford Heat on Sunday.

“It was a long, hard, and stressful weekend,” admitted coach Nigel Lloyd.

“We played our best half of basketball this season at Guildford, and we handled almost everything that they threw at us. We’ve played worse and won this season. But we were coming off a game the night before, and they just wore us down. They’ve learned from playing in Europe about playing for 40 minutes, and although we were good in the first, second and fourth quarter, they outscored us 33-10 in the third and that was crucial.”

Lloyd is looking forward to Panthers’ first home game in Telford, but is concerned about the quality of the team they face,  “I’m told that we’re going to have a big crowd, and I’m hoping that we can give them a game to enjoy. We need it to be competitive, but it’s tough against the Eagles. Every time we play against Fab [Flournoy] he has a great game against us, and Lynard [Stewart] played pretty well against us last time, whilst Olu Babalola gave us some real match-up problems.

“But now they’ve got Charles [Smith] back on form and the new guy [Steve Leven] scoring in bunches, so it’s getting even harder. They aren’t top by a fluke, and we know we’ve got a tough game ahead of us.”

Eagles coach Flournoy has warned his side against taking Panthers lightly as they look to extend their winning run to four games, “It’s a big basketball game, but they all are. We’ll take them one at a time and not treat any lightly. We want to make sure we don’t take our foot off the gas, because no game in this league is a given. If you don’t turn up to play, you will lose. We need to concentrate on being consistent, well prepared and concentrate on moving forward.”

Flournoy is aware of the threat the Panthers pose, “Obviously Rob Paternostro is a very experienced guard, and he’s been in this league for a long time now. Dan Sandell is scoring a lot of points for them, but the key is that they play well as a team. They are in a lot of games for long periods, and were neck and neck with Guildford during the first half last week. It was the same against Worcester, but they just run out of steam. They are probably short of a couple of rotations, but they can be a dangerous team.”  

The SAMG Verve Scottish Rocks and PAWS London Capital meet for the second time in three weeks on Sunday, and the home fans will be hoping for another thrilling finish.

When the teams met at the end of January Rocks trailed by four points with 12 seconds remaining. However, Gareth Murray hit a three-pointer to narrow the gap to a single point before, with 10 seconds left, Santa Ataha was sent to the free-throw line.  The London guard missed both free-throws in-front of a raucous crowd, and the Rocks found Rob Yanders on the outlet, who was fouled himself with six seconds to go.  Yanders made both of his free-throws to give the Rocks the lead 79-78.  In the dying seconds Ataha drove against Yanders and looked to score with a lay-up, only to have his shot blocked by Sterling Davis.

Capital coach Steve Bucknall is hoping that his side can make amends when they meet again on Sunday, “We played them well, but just couldn’t finish the game. We need to be aware of how difficult it is when we get in that situation, and stay focused mentally. If we play hard and do the basics well, we’ll have a chance.”

Rocks player-coach Sterling Davis knows his team will face a tough test when London return to Scotland, “They gave us a good run, and we were lucky to get out of that one. We played some good defence for that game, and we’ll be better prepared for them this time as we have tape of them now. We’ll have a better idea of their strengths and weaknesses, and I think we can produce a better performance.

“Sam Bradley is a big threat for them, he’s a deadly outside shooter and he’s a good penetrator as well. Mansour Mbeye is a physical guy and we have to make sure we limit what he does. But overall they are a good group of guys who know their roles, and they gave us a good game a few weeks ago.”

Rocks go into the game after an 82-56 home victory against Sheffield Sharks on Sunday, but it was Friday’s  89-67 hammering of Marshall MK Lions on their own court which grabbed the weekend’s headlines, leaving Davis a happy man, “We played pretty well, and I’m happy with the win. It was the same against Sheffield, our defence was key in both games. We started well, kept the pressure on them and played well as a team.”

Rocks have now won eight of their last nine games, but Davis believes it was the 86-72 loss at BiG Cheshire Jets which proved to be a turning point for his team, “We’ve playing well lately, and I think the big wake-up came against Cheshire. It showed us we have to keep playing well consistently, play every game the same way and treat every team with respect.

“The guys responded well after the loss against Jets, and it proved that they have pride in themselves. It was a kick in the rear end, but they’ve started believing in their defence again, and if you do that you’ll go a long way. I hope we can keep doing that, and we’ll see what happens. We can’t afford to lose any game if we want to be in the running for the league title, they’re all crucial.”

Everton Tigers will look to repeat their first ever win in the BBL when they host the reigning league champions, Guildford Heat, on Friday at the Greenbank Academy. It’s the second time that the Heat have traveled to Merseyside where, in mid-October, the home side won 91-80 with Chris Haslam leading the way on 25 points.

Everton coach Henry Mooney watched the Heat in action against Worcester Wolves in the BBL Trophy semi-final, and was impressed with what he saw, “I saw them against Wolves on Saturday, and it’s going to be a tough game for us. I think I spotted a few things that we can use in our game plan, and hopefully get the win, though.

“They look good in the BBL, but I can see why they struggled in the ULEB Cup. They aren’t strong enough inside and rely too much on Tony Dorsey – so we need to stop him. Ajou Deng isn’t really an inside player, but he can hit shots. They struggled a bit with Wolves, but once they stopped James Life, they really got going.

“Dorsey brings a huge wealth of experience to them, while EJ [Harrison] has a lot of experience in British basketball, even if it’s in the EBL. James Jones looks like he’s got a good basketball brain, which I guess comes from having a dad who’s a coach. They’ve got a good coach and a good guy in Paul James, but I’m really hoping for a win as we need to start moving up the table.”

Mooney is still hoping to strengthen his side before the signing deadline, “We’re still looking for a big guy as Chris Haslam has had his knee scoped and will be out for three to four weeks. We’ll be smaller, but hopefully we can be quicker and make up for that. Touch wood, Delme Herriman should be back this week; he started practicing again on Monday, and we really need him back. Along with John Simpson, he’s our best defender.”

Having already lost on Merseyside once this season, Heat coach Paul James is looking for revenge when his side make the trip north on Friday, “We lost their earlier in the season when we were without Brian [Dux] due to a hamstring injury, and we were really lethargic that night. We dug ourselves into a hole, and although we nearly got out of it, there was too much to do. We’re really looking forward to making amends this time.”

Heat’s last league game saw them fall to an 88-82 home defeat against SAMG Verve Scottish Rocks, and James hopes his team will bounce back from that in order to maintain their title defence, “We dropped the game against Rocks, and that was a disappointing result. We can’t afford to drop too many if we’re going to retain the title.”

The Marshall MK Lions host the SAMG Verve Scottish Rocks for the second time this season on Friday, and the fans are in for a treat if the game is as good as October’s meeting.

Then, a tight first half saw both sides trading baskets throughout, with the teams tied at 46-46 going into the locker rooms at half-time.   After the sides shared 92 first half points, Rocks started the second faster, especially Moritz Wohlers netting five points in an 11-5 start to the quarter giving the Rocks a 51-57 lead.  The Lions got themselves back into the game with some accurate outside shooting from Yorick Williams to close the deficit to four points at 71-75 going into the final stanza.  In the final quarter, Rob Yanders got the Rocks off and running with the first five points to take the score out to 73-80.  It was the Lions who broke the game open following that with a 17-4 burst, including six points from Michael New, to take the score out 90-84.

The Rocks valiantly attempted to come back into the game, but it was Dru Spinks who secured the 97-94 victory for the Lions from the foul-line.  New led the Lions scoring with 18 points, but it was Yanders who led all scorers with 30 points for the Rocks.

After missing out on the BBL Trophy semi-final last weekend, Lions’ coach Vince Macaulay is looking forward to getting back into action, “We’re excited to be back in action, especially as we’re starting with a home game. We’ve had a little break, and we’ve regrouped for the second half of the season. Judging by how the teams around us are doing, everyone’s stepping up a gear. The Rocks have beaten the Eagles, but lost to Cheshire, and it’s an exciting time in the BBL.

“We’re all fit and we’ve worked on some things during the break. It’s our first league game for six weeks, and with Heat and Eagles doing well, we know we’ll have to be on top form for the rest of the season.”

Macaulay is expecting a tough game against the visiting Rocks, who had won 6 straight games prior to last Sunday’s defeat against the Jets, “They are settling down nicely, with a good rhythm and a six-man rotation. You expect good performances from Sterling Davis and Rob Yanders, and Julius Joseph is important as well. But the keys are probably how much they can get from Gareth Murray and Moritz Wholers. If they play well, they win games, but when they don’t, it’s a struggle for them to get enough points.”

Two sides who had mixed fortunes in the BBL Trophy semi-finals last week meet at the MetroRadio Arena on Friday night when Newcastle Eagles host Worcester Wolves.
While the league-leading Eagles hammered the BiG Storage Cheshire Jets on Saturday, Wolves found their hopes of a first final appearance in the top flight ended by an 81-75 loss against the Guildford Heat.